Eric STEVENS

Le concept de "Knowledge at the point of action".

L'ensemble des échanges entre un fournisseur et un client repose sur le transfert d'information qui est au coeur des problématiques de relation et de satisfaction. Avoir toute l'information disponible pour permettre une interaction fluide et complète devient un enjeux important dès lors que le client exige des réponses rapides et documentées à ses questions.
Le problème est que cette information relative au client est éclatée dans l'ensemble de l'entreprise: Les données de facturations sont traitées par le départment financier, les données relatives aux livraisons sont stockées dans les départements en charge de la logistique, les informations commerciales sont mémorisées dans les fichiers commerciaux.
Il devient alors difficile pour un plateau d'appel, un commercial ou tout autre département sollicité par le client de traiter complètement la question posée avec rapidité et précision. A défaut de disposer de la bonne information au bon moment, il est difficile voir impossible d'être réactif et précis (il faudra du temps pour retrouver les données) ou même simplement empathique (comment se concentrer sur le client alors que l'on se bat avec le système d'information). Réfléchir aux connaissances requises pour dérouler correctement le processus d'accueil du client pourrait s'avérer être un moyen puissant d'améliorer la satisfaction des clients.
Plus qu'un simple chantier de construction de base de données, atteindre l'objectif de fournir toute l'information au point de contact suppose de mener un chantier transversal à l'entreprise, centré sur la formalisation des processus d'interaction avec le client. Lorsque les principales étapes en sont fixées, il est possible de construire la base de connaissances adaptée aux processus dessinés.
Pour démarrer la réflexion, une première note de travail est disponible sur le site:
http://www.rightnow.com/resource/crm-whitepapers.html

Acquisition channels influence customer loyalty

Analysing customer loyalty is a two sidded approach. On one hand, the customers may be eager to be loyal due to its own system of perceptions, preferences and experience. On the other hand, the way you interact with your customers is due to determine loyalty patterns.

Based on this last side, , Verhoef and Donkers found that the acquisition channels determine loyalty level. Top down media, like radio and TV perform poorly on retention when the web sites perform better.

Those observations support the hypothesis that interactions are due to induce increased loyalty. Why ? Intuition assumes that in such media, customers have to learn and practice and by so to actively participate rather than passively receive the commercial messages. By doing so, messages are anchored in long term memory through routines. Moreover, given the initial efforts devoted to learn to interact, consumer may privilegiate the previous relationship rather than constantly changing for new experiences.

If prooven, those assumptions mean that brands could achieve better long term economies of scale by investing more in interactive media. From then, it is possible to imagine that, rather than being focused on the creation of messages, advertiser should imagine new interaction patterns, which would increment brand equity. Designing, implementing and managing interaction scenarios may turn out to be the actual advertiser's know how for the future.

To know more on the topic:

PC Verhoef, B Donkers, 2005, The effect of acquisition channels on customer loyalty and cross buying, Journal of Interactive Marketingn Vol 19, 2, Spring.

For a great 07 CRM year

This blog starts with the new year and we will do our best to make it live longer than the year 2007! Given the current and expected development of CRM we have no doubts that a lot has to be created and shared for improving knowledge related to the topic.

When multiple blogs and web sites flourished over the past years, any of them focused on research produced on the topic. Our assumption is that research must contribute to CRM by creating new knowledge and sharing the work and publication produced all over the world. Aside the commercial arguments, research may enrich the perspectives and provide ideas for future developements. As an example: remember the overall statement made in 2002 by Rigby and Al: more than 70 % of the companies declared being unsatisfied with the investment made in this field. Since then, Kumar and Reinhartz suggested new implementation processes that may contribute to reduce this poor performance (see refs bellow).

To achieve this purpose, this blog will propose to share available research information, to facilitate discussions and debates, to offer access to people having specific expertise on one part of the topic. By doing so, we hope that this blog could be the right place to update informations and research contributions to CRM.

All the best for 2007.

Some readings:
Rigby, D.K., Reichfeld, F.F., Schefter, P., 2002, Avoid the four perils of CRM, Harvard Business Review, 101-109.
V Kumar, W Reinartz, 2006, Customer Relationship Management, a Database Approach, J Wiley & Sons Ed, Hoboken.